Printer format controls

ABSTRACT

Electrically activated margin setting and clearing is combined with a margin position memory device in a page printer. Readout of the memory to sense the set margin positions in relation to carriage position provides electrical signals to limit carriage travel to the desired length of writing line. A specific semihermaphroditic dashpot having nesting tubular pistons is provided to snub carriage return operation. The dashpot can be used as part of a mechanical left margin structure.

United States Patent 11 1 [111 3,

Willcox Oct. 28, 1975 PRINTER FORMAT CONTROLS 3,087,594 4/1963 Seymour et a1 197/177 7 3,091,387 5/1963 Locke 197/176 [76] lnvemor- Flfedemk 565 Oenoke 3,099,343 7/1963 DOnofrio 197/179 x Ridge, New Canaan, COIm- 06840 3,137,381 6/1964 Bell! et a1. 197/179 x 2 3,225,885 12/1965 Zeamer et al 197/66 [2 1 Sept 1970 3,272,306 9/1966 Dewitt et a1. 197/84R x [21] Appl. No.: 69,104 3,346,089 10/1967 Cralle, Jr. et a1. 197/176 X 3,414,103 12/1968 Knudsen et a1. 197/20 Related PP Data 3,429,415 2/1969 Hirata 197 20 x [62] Division of Ser. No. 581,020, Sept. 21, 1966, Pat. 3,466,604 /l iIm I-m 1 /1 No. 3,534,847. 3,519,118 7/1970 Reszica 197/176 3,529,296 9/1970 Friedman et a1 197/84 X [52] US. Cl. 197/63; 197/19; 197/84 A;

197/ 176; 197/183 Primary Examiner-J. Reed Fisher [51] Int. Cl. .1 1341,] 21/02 Assistant ExaminerR. T. Rader [58] Field of Search 197/66, 70, 20, 176, 178,

197/120, 183, 177, 84, 18, 63, 179, 19 [57] ABSTRACT [56] References Cit d Electr cally activated margin setting and clearing is UNITED STATES PATENTS combined with a margin position memory device in a 1,992,940 3 1935 Foothorap 197/183 page il Reaqout memory to the Set 2 808 144 10,1957 Lambert et al 197/183 margin positions 1n relation to carnage positlon pro- 2860759 11/1958 Clark 197,179 vides electrical signals to limit carriage travel to the 2/1959 Hess I I I 197/183 desired length of writing line. A specific semi-herma- 3 10/1959 Wheeler 197/183 phroditic dashpot having nesting tubular pistons is 2,936,871 5/1960 Cummins 197/ 179 provided to snub carriage return operation. The dash- 2,938,618 5/1960 Niccolls 197/66 pot can be used as part of a mechanical left margin 2,953,231 9/1960 Dersch 197/176 mama 3,040,859 6/1962 Toeppen... 197/63 3,063,537 11/1962 Allen 197/ 176 X 6 Claims, 54 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet1of22 3,915,280

US. Patent Oct.28, 1975 Sheet2of22 3,915,280

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U.S. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet5of22 3,915,280

US. Patent Oct.28, 1975 Sheet7of 22 3,915,280

US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet9 of 22 3,915,280

U.S. Patent Oct.-28, 1975 Sheet 10 of 22 3,915,280

US. Patent Oct 28,1975 Sheet 12 0f22 3,915,280

I I020 I I US Patent 0a. 28, 1975 Sheet 13 0f22 3,915,289

U.S. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 15 of22 3,915,28

TAPE READER, PERFORATOR, ETC.

KEYBOARD & SERIAL To SERIAL IN E PARALLEL -SERIAL OUT DIODE MATRD CONVERTOR 4H v 486 442a KEYBOARD sELECTOR D REsET CUT-OFF CONTROL TIMER -4ll6 ,HHAM} I I I 10 8 4lla SELEC TOR I PRINTING FUNCTIONSI LNON-PRINTING FUNCTIONS] CCW DRIVE 1/2 PWR HOR. TAB CLEAR V-TAB SET v-TAB CLEAR SUPERSCRIPT Z3 SHIFT SIGNAL BELL SUBSCRIPT sH1ET] [DEv1CE CONTROL 1| DEVICE CONTROL 2 'IDEV. CONTROL 3d LDEVICE CONTROL 4 I 4l54 INVALID CODE w- SENSOR US. Patent 4202 115 VOLTS AC Oct. 28, 1975 OFF Sheet 17 POWER SUPPLY 420461 20 VOLTS DC 2\o 4 I I 4216 I, 42I2 j, 4214 42% POWER POWER 4-2l6 POWER COMMUTATOR A COMMUTATOR B COMMUTATOR c CW DRIVE 1/2 PWR CCW DRIVE 1 2 PWR CARRIAGE RETURN V TAB INDICATOR RELEASE MARGIN SET MARGIN C LEAR HOR. TAB SET HOR. TAB CLEAR AUXILIARY DEvIcE EUXILIARY DEVICE? 4'06. SELECTOR SELECTOR I CONTROL SWITCHES ,4uo 1 RESET TIMER KEYBOARD CUT-OFF RESET MAGNETS I MARGIN BELL OTHER CONTROL V TAB PAP ER AUX ILIARIES SENSOR CIRCUIT BACKSPACE HORIZ. TAB

V-TAB STEPPER J SUPERSCRIPT SHIFT SUBSCRIPT SHIFT V-TAB SET I V-TAB CLEAR 11 L AUXILIARY-V DEvIcE 3-1/2 VOLT DC FOR SELECTOR CONTROL US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 19 of22 3,915,280 

1. In a page printer of the type having a mechanism-supporting framework and a printing means supported by a carriage for positioning along a writing line, the combination including: A. at least one guide member for supporting said carriage for sliding movement along said writing line; B. a position-settable left margin stop for said carriage, said stop supported by and incrementally positionable along said guide member, said stop comprising one mating member of a separable dashpot; C. carriage return motion snubbing means comprising the other mating member of said dashpot mounted on said carriage for slidable engagement with said first mating member to effect snubbing; and D. wherein said mating members of said dashpot comprise telescoping concentric tubular pistons and respective mating annular recesses to form a labyrinthine passage of increasing length during engagement of each other to increasingly restrict the exhaust of air therefrom.
 2. A page printer in accordance with claim 1 wherein said printer is responsive to electrical input signals and said left margin stop is positionable to a desIred margin position by means responsive to electrical activation.
 3. In an electrical input signal responsive printer of the type having a carriage incrementally positionable to effect line composition of characters along a writing line, the combination including: A. positioning means for moving said carriage; B. electrical control means for said printer including spacing and carriage return operations in response to respective input signals therefor; C. a margin position memory cooperable with said control means, said memory having a plurality of margin position-defining means which are selectively conditionable to a set state or a cleared state, such that at least one set means defines one margin position for said carriage to establish a maximum length of writing line; and D. margin position memory conditioning means to set and clear said position-defining means in response to electrical activation for either a margin set or a margin clear operation; E. said combination further including margin position memory readout means responsive to said incremental positioning for serially scanning said memory to sense and provide an electrical output signal when a set margin position-defining means is sensed as it occurs in metered relationship to the position of said carriage, said output signal serving to indicate to said control means that the carriage is at the sensed margin position, and wherein said conditioning means employs electro-magnetic means to effect setting and clearing of said margin position-defining means.
 4. In an electrical input responsive printer of the type having a carriage incrementally positionable to effect line composition of characters along a writing line, the combination including: A. positioning means for moving said carriage; B. electrical control for said printer including spacing and carriage return operations in response to respective input signals therefor; C. a margin position memory cooperable with said control means, said memory having a plurality of margin position-defining means which are selectively conditionable to a set state or a cleared state, such that at least one set means defines one margin position for said carriage to establish a maximum length of writing line; and D. margin position memory conditioning means to set and clear said position-defining means in response to electrical activation for either a margin set or margin clear operation; E. said combination further including margin position memory readout means responsive to said incremental positioning for serially scanning said memory to sense and provide an electrical output signal when a set margin position-defining means is sensed as it occurs in metered relationship to the position of said carriage, said output signal serving to indicate to said control means that the carriage is at the sensed margin position; and wherein said conditioning means employs electro-magnetic means to set and clear said margin position-defining means, and wherein said readout means magnetically senses each set margin position-defining means.
 5. In an electrical input signal responsive printer of the type having a carriage incrementally positionable to effect line composition of characters along a writing line, the combination including: A. positioning means for moving said carriage; B. electrical control means for said printer including spacing and carriage return operations in response to respective input signals therefor; C. a margin position memory cooperable with said control means, said memory having a plurality of margin position-defining means which are selectively conditionable to a set state or a cleared state, such that at least one set means defines one margin position for said carriage to establish a maximum length of writing line; and D. margin position memory conditioning means to set and clear said position-defining means in response to electrical activation for either a margin set or margin clear operation; E. said combination further including margin position memory readout means responsive to said incremental positioning for serially scanning said memory to sense and provide an electrical output signal when a set margin position-defining means is sensed as it occurs in metered relationship to the position of said carriage, said output signal serving to indicate to said control means that the carriage is at the sensed margin position; F. said printer further includes a mechanism supporting framework; G. said memory comprises a linear array of memory elements, said array supported by said framework parallel to said writing line and in proximity to the line of motion of said carriage; and H. said readout means is supported by said carriage for said scanning of said memory means.
 6. In an electrical input signal responsive page printer of the type having a carriage incrementally positionable to effect line composition of characters along a writing line by printing means, the combination including: A. positioning means for moving said carriage; B. electrical control means for said printer including said positioning to effect carriage movements including spacing and carriage return in response to respective input signals therefor; C. margin position memory means, cooperable with said control means, having a plurality of various elements selectively conditionable to either a set or a cleared state whereby respective selected and set elements define the left and right margin positions for said carriage to secure or establish a desired length of writing line; and D. memory conditioning means to set and clear said elements in response to respective electrical activation for either a margin set or margin clear operation; E. and wherein said memory conditioning means employs electro-magnetic means to set and clear said elements. 